Resinous condensation products and method of preparing same



Fatented Aug. 15, 3939 PATENT OFFICE BESINOUS CONDENSATION PiwnUc'rs AND METHOD or PREPARING SAME Israel Rosenblum, Jackson Heights, N. Y.

No Drawing. pplication November 3, 1934,

- Serial No. 751,420

6 Claims. (Cl. 260-25) The present invention relates to the production of synthetic resins containing a phenol-aldehyde resin, and has for its general object to produce a resin having incorporated therein by chemical reaction a phenol-aldehyde condensate, such resin being soluble in varnish oils and being characterized by such a. low acid number as to be considered practically neutral.

There are numerous references in the patent 10 and other literature to the efl'ect that the resinous condensation products of phenols and aldehydes, and particularly of ordinary phenol and formaldehyde, are basic in reaction or that if they are amphoteric they are sufliciently basic to 5 combine with natural resins such as rosin so as to be neutralized by the latter.

' Researches conducted by me over a period of many years have, however, shown that phenolformaldehyde resins are definitely acidic in charv acter. This is particularly true as the condensation proceeds to the resinous condition, and in such condition the condensate is decidedly more acidic than basic, if it is basic at all, and. can not be neutralized with rosin or other acidic material.

Attempts to neutralize phenol-formaldehyde condensates by means of an approximately equivalent amount of a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerol, have however failed to produce a satisfactory material. The mixture of phenol-formaldehyde resin and glycerol, or the mixture of phenol, formaldehyde and glycerol when the latter is added at the start of the reaction, when heated to elevated temperatures yielded rubbery, infusible masses especially when the proportion of formaldehyde was relativelyhigh, say considerably above 1 mol per mol of phenol, asis desirable in practice, and particularly in the presence of a catalyst. Thus. a. mixture of phenol (carbolic 4o acid), formaldehyde, a catalyst, and a relatively small amount of glycerol is rapidly converted into a gel-at about 110 C. when more than 1 mol of formaldehyde is employed per mol of phenol.

I have however found that by the use of a rel-l neous, usually rather viscous liquid in spite of the fact that phenol-formaldehyde condensation products do not dissolve clear in glycerol. The presence of the glycerol thus appears to have modified the character of the resinous condensate 5 and it may be that the phenolic resin has to some extent modified the character of the glycerol. Thus glycerol will not dissolve a commercial phenol-formaldehyde resin, produced by condensation at -110 (3., even at about C., whereas the same amount of glycerol, pro-i 5 vided it is considerably in excess of the theoretical amount required to neutralize the phenolic condensate, if present during the condensation, will be completely compatible with the resin.

As further evidence of the changed character 10 of the glycerol, or of the influence of the resinous reaction product thereupon, it may be mentioned that a phenol-formaldehyde-glycerol condensate, after heating to 130 C. to drive off the water, will dissolve to a clear solution in pine oil or 15 in terpineol although glycerol is not soluble in pine oil nor in terpineol or dipentene, which are two of the major constituents of pine oil.

The excess polyhydric alcohol may be neu-- tralized in any known manner as by means of 20 an acidic natural resin which is preferably added at a relatively low temperature, say about C.. after which the esterification iscontinued at about 250 C. If desired, a quantity of dipentene or of pine oil or terpineol or other terpene alcohol 25 may be added at the beginning of the reaction or at vany stage in the reaction, as described in my copending applications Ser. Nos. 538,248 filed May 18, 1931, and 580,495 filed Dec. 11, 1931, of which the present application is a continuation 30 in part. The process is preferably so conducted that free, unreacted'high boilingsolvents, such as terpineol and dipentene are expelled and a resin which is solid at room temperature is obtained. In this manner I obtain resins which are as readily soluble in varnish oils and whose oil varnishes can be thinned with turpentine. The

, a resin having an extremely low acid number.

Where pine oil or terpineolis added to the re- 50 action mixtures: the latter may be heated to higher temperatures or for longer periods of time without danger of gelling.

The invention will be further described with the aid; of the following examples which illustrate 65 a number of satisfactory methods of carrying out the invention.

Example 1 Phenol 9 grams (1 mol) 60% formaldehdyde solution 225 grams (3 mol) Zinc acetate 2 grams Glycerol 90 grams are condensed by refluxing at the boiling point for about fifteen hours, after which the condenser is removed and the material is dehydrated at about 110 C. or at a lower temperature with the use of a vacuum. After the mechanically admixed water (i. e. water of solution of the formaldehyde) and also the water of reaction are removed, the material is gradually heated to about 120 C. or higher, if necessary, until a clear, viscous mass is obtained.

The free alcoholic groups are neutralized by any known acidic natural resin. Thus 780 grams of rosin may be added and the temperature gradually raised to about 250 C. under pressure, releasing the water of reaction being permitted to escape, until a clear, oil-soluble resin is obtained which is solid at room temperature.

Example 2.Like Example 1 with the exception that to the refluxing charge about 50 grams of pine oil are added and the material, after dehydration, is gradually heated to 130 C. or higher until a sample is clear in the cold. The neutrali zation of the free alcoholic groups is then carried on as in Example 1.

Example 3 Para cresol 108 grams (1 mol) 40% formaldehyde solution; 150 grams (2 mol) Zinc acetate 2grams Glycerol 85 grams are condensed and dehydrated as in Example 1. After the water is removed the material is gradually heated to 130 or higher, if necessary, until a clear viscous mass is obtained.

The free alcoholic groups are then neutralized with an acidic natural resin as described in Exare condensed and dehydrated as previously described. The material is then-gradually heated to about 130 or higher, if necessary, to obtain a a clear, viscous mass.

The free alcoholic groups are then neutralized by heating to about 250 C. with 930 grams of rosin, until a hard, clear resin is obtained, which is readily soluble in fatty oils.

Example 5.-Same as Example 4, except that an equivalent amount of butyl phenol is substituted for the amyl phenol. In each' case the use of the para tertiary compound is preferred.

Example 6 Amyl phenol 164 grams (1 mol) 40% formaldehyde solution 225 grams (3 mol) Zinc acetate 2.5 grams Glycerol 94 grams 7 Pine oil 80 grams are condensed and dehydrated as previously described. The material is then gradually heated to about 130 or higher, if necessary, to obtain a 'clear, viscous mass.

The free alcoholic groups are then neutralized areaem in the described manner by heating with 820 grams rosin to about 250 C. under pressure, the water vapor being permitted to escape until a clear, oil-soluble resin is obtained.

While I prefer to conduct the above-described process to the point at which resins solid at room temperature are obtained, I may stop the condensation at an earlier stage, or I may add various oils to the reaction mixture, preferablyv after the initial phenolic resin has been formed, and thus obtain coating compositions as the final products.

The initial condensation under reflux may be replaced by condensation at about 110 C. at about 10 lbs. pressure, the vapors being permitted to escape at such pressure.

Although neither a phenol-formaldehyde resin nor glycerol is soluble in dipentene, the latter compound may be added along with the rosin or other acidic neutralizing agent, or it may be present during the initial condensation, most of the dipentene being expelled during the heating at elevated temperatures, the part remaining in the resin apparently taking part in the reaction as the final product is clear and homogeneous.

The resins obtained as hereinabove described are practically neutral in character, acid numbers of only about 10 or even below being readily obtainable. If desired, a substantially neutral ester gum may be added to the reacting mixture at any stage of the process. I

In place of at least part of the acidic natural resin, any other suitable acid organic material may be employed, such as the acids obtainable on hydrolysis of a fatty oil or of a fat, especially of a drying oil, like linseed, tung, soya bean and other oxidizable oils.

1 claim:

1. The method which comprises reacting one mol of a phenolic body, at least about two mols of formaldehyde, and approximately one mol of glycerol until a viscous condensate is obtained, and then neutralizing excess glycerol with an acidic natural resin.

2. The method which comprises reacting approximately 71 grams of phenol, 41 grams of amyl phenol, 225 grams of 40% formaldehyde solution, 2.5 grams of zinc acetate, 107 grams of glycerol, expelling the water and gradually heating the mixture to about 130 C. until a clear viscous mass is obtained, then adding approximately 930 grams of rosin and continuing the heating to about 250 C. until a resinous material is obtained which is solid and clear at room temperature and is compatible with fatty oils. 1

3. The metnod which comprises reacting approximately one mol of a phenol substituted in the nucleus by a member consisting of saturated alkyl radicals higher than methyl, and phenyl radicals, with more than one mol and up to approximately three mols of formaldehyde in the presence of approximately one mol of glycerol, expelling the water, then neutralizing the mass with an acidic natural resin.

4. The method which comprises reacting approximately one mol of a phenol substituted in the nucleus by a member consisting of saturated alkyl radicals higher than methyl, and phenyl radicals, with more than one mol and up to approximately three mols of formaldehyde in the presence of approximately one mol of glycerol and a quantity of pine oil, expelling the water, and

in the presence oi approximately one mol of glycerol and a quantity of pine oil, expelling the water, and then neutralizing the mass with an acidic natural resin.

ISRAEL ROSENBLUM. 

